Pizza - New York Style at Mony's on Milam

 

I came across a recommendation for Mony's on the Facebook Group Houston Foodie Friends. Persons from New York take their style of pizza very seriously and it is not uncommon, here in Houston, to see any recommendations for a place that serves New York style, immediately put down by others who claim to be purists (Brothers Pizza gets this, as do Romano's, Grimaldi's, et al). 

For me, Mony's (I think) is what New Yorkers are looking for when they think "pizza". The slice is big. I put a quarter next to it to give you an idea of the size.

John Nechman writes:

" A passion of Richi's and mine is REAL NY pizza. And what many New Yorker's say is true--you can only find this in the 5 boroughs. The mystery of why has never been cracked--some say it's the water, but places outside NYC have imported NYC water for their recipes and still not achieved the same results. Some say it's the air/atmosphere and how it affects the dough. NYC pizza chefs have moved to other cities and used the exact same recipes they used on streets of Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan, and they just can't achieve the same product.

Maybe it's all bullshit. But I've yet to find a NY-style pizza outside of NY that compares with what I've had in NY.

So when my brother Brad lived in Upper Manhattan, Richi and I visited him often--sometimes 5 or 6 times a year over the course of 15 years. And we made it our mission to find the best of all NYC pizzas. I'm sure we've tried well over 200, in all 5 boroughs. We grew to know NYC as well if not better than most locals. I often received callls from acquaintances of Brad's, usually saying something along the lines of "Hey--I'm a native New Yorker, but I heard from your brother of your obsession for NY pizza and was hoping you could send me your recc's."

Obsessed. No doubt about it.

Which brings me to Mony’s Pizzeria, recently opened in a hopefully-not-jinxed spot in Midtown (2808 Milam St.). I am duly impressed. The all-important crust is stellar--just that right mix of crispy yet foldable. The sauce is almost there, and it and the cheese are kept in appropriate moderation--gloopy and drippy doesn't work on a NY-style pizza. Mony's could benefit from a better quality pepperoni, but that's a minor quibble--in NY, I'm often plenty happy with just a plain slice.

Mony's has an outrageously great lunch special--$9.99 gets you a huge house salad, a drink, and a slice. But this isn't your typical NY-size slice (which are often pretty big); this is an 18-24" behemoth--like the jumbo slices famous in Washington DC (though a million times better tasting). I was stuffed and smiling widely after eating this. They can make a pizza in a size that will easily feed 10--the box for this pie, one of which is on the wall next to the "normal" sizes, is a wonder in and of itself.

Mony's is open late for those after-bar hunger pangs. They have 2 websites, one of which has a peculiar "About" section that contains the quizzical statement, "Complete your meal with French Fries, it's a great way to make dinner into a feast." https://www.monyspizzeriahouston.com/#about This statement, of course, led me on a search in vain for french fries on the menu.

Thank you to Jay P. Francis for making the first post I've seen on Mony's--this definitely makes my Top 10 list for Houston, and any time of the day, I would crave a slice here over a pie from highly-lauded NY original pizza spot Roberta's at the Post.

Pizza - Could This Be The Best Pizza In Houston?

I think so. 

Only open from 9:00 to 2:00 on Sunday, ORG Pizza is tucked away a little north of Tidwell on Yale at 5618 Yale.  

Chef Andrea is from Rome. 

For me, the crust is perfect. Chewy and delicious. The quality of ingredients is about as good as it gets. His skill as a pizzaolo, well, for me, I wouldn't want to eat anywhere else on a Sunday, mid-day. Prices are almost too reasonable. 

And, he also produces excellent gelati in remarkably interesting flavors.

John Nechman writes: “. Thank you, thank you, thank you to H-Town mortgage guru John Frels, curator of the Houston Heights Foodies page, for sharing the "secret" of ORG Pizza Garden (5618 Yale St., in the northern stretches of Independence Heights). The business model for this hidden-in-plain-sight spot is somewhat baffling:  open only Sundays from 9-2; 3 tables inside and a few more hard benches outside, mostly exposed to the elements; a masonry pizza oven set up in a trailer in the middle of the outdoor patio; barbed wire topping a chain link fence surrounding the rather bleak looking property; business development coming mostly from word-of-mouth from those who've dined here before.

And it works!

Why? Because the food is spectacular. Frels and Houston foodie extraordinaire Jay P. Francis (who also visited ORG yesterday) have called the pizza the best in the city. It's definitely a contender.  If you've had the 2 most famous styles of Roman pizza: al taglio (square and thicker crust, sold in "cut" squares) and tonda (thinner, crispy crust and usually round), this pizza from Chef Andrea dal Monte is like the best of both--pizza alla pala. It somehow manages to be both fluffy and crispy at the same time and comes out in an oval shape on  a traditional wood paddle. At $10 for the most expensive version (the magnificent matriciana, made with a rich marinara infused with guanciale and pecorino), this is one of the best deals in town and one of the tastiest pizzas.  I couldn't get a close look at the oven, but it appeared to be a Marona forni oven--perfect for cooking this style of pizza.

Also from within this magical oven comes the bread for the farciti, sort of a stuffed toast.  We tried the version with fresh-sliced prosciutto, camembert, a slather of figs compote, organic arugula, and golden local honey, and it soars to the highest rankings of Houston's best  sandwiches. I hope Jeff Balke, who compiles a list of best sandwiches for the Houston Press, gets to try this one).  A stunner of a sandwich.

We somehow managed to scarf down a maritiramisu maritozzo (sweet bun) as well and left with a pint of peach, balsamic venegar, and roasteed honey ice cream to enjoy later.

You can bring your own booze (for $14 a bottle, Total Wine & More sells an orange Sun Goddess Pinot Grigio Ramato from Mary J Blige that is refreshing and pairs with everything!), which means an exceptional Sunday lunch with wine for 2 can easily come in under $40. This place is still under-the-radar enough to likely have seating if you show up early, but before long, unless they expand (and hopefully open on other days, too), it won't be possible to find a seat here.“

Kabab Arbil (or Erbil) on Hillcroft - Could this be the FINEST kabab place in Houston?

It has been awhile since I got happy enough over a meal that I wanted to “champion” a restaurant to assure that it gets well known. Kabab Arbil is such a place. When you go, and you must put this on your list for 2022, go with at least two other persons so that each of you can order something different. Because the ground beef, chicken and lamb shank offerings were all spectacular! I wish that I could post the videos here of the dishes as they were brought out to us. But on my Facebook page (Jay P. Francis) and also on the Houston Chowhounds group that I admin, I have the videos of our lunch.

A. Jay Francis writes: " Another John Nechman discovery. He tells me he was driving down Hillcroft and saw the sign. And this place is a winner. Starting with a lamb or beef broth called marak (?)(Im using Google translate with some of the staff) followed by the exceptional mezze you see in this photo. We confirmed that several of the persons are Kurd, so there may be a Kurdish influence on the cuisine here. Several people were pleased to chat in English but I was so happy to be able to use Google translate app to communicate to everyone here. "

B. John Nechman writes: "Our nation's 4 largest cities have the most astounding diversity and greatest food in the country, but the 4th of the 4 (and soon to be 3rd!) has the best of all. Maybe not the largest number, the most countries/cuisines, and not even always the most authentic. But Houston's is the most accessible. In many cities, venturing into ethnic enclaves often leads to awkward indifference and a distinct sense of unwelcome. I've never felt that in Houston. Not once.

And our welcome yesterday at Kabab Arbil كباب أربيل (3330 Hillcroft) was genuine to the point I wanted to start huggin'. The staff beamed with pride that we were there to enjoy their food and hospitality. Though I've eaten at and loved Iraqi food before, the family here is Kurdish, and they hinted that we were about to embark on one hell of a Kurdish feast.

We lunched with our friend and foodie extraordinaire, Jay P. Francis, who loves as much as we do to sample all the rich cultures and foods of our city. Jay makes every effort to embrace and engage in the cultures of the places he visits--he was somewhat unnerved to learn that using homemade pita as a headdress is akin to dropping the soap in the shower at a LUEY Weekend Shower Party.

Our dapper server informed us that many of the menu items were unavailable, but he suggested we order whatever kind of meat we wanted. Jay went lamb, Richi chicken, and I beef. We then received several spectacular mezze dishes--a gloriously creamy, tahini-juiced humm s; another hummus of red chile pepper; a smoky baba ghanouj, a vinegary chopped red cabbage salad, and another salad of eggplant and peppers. He also served us steaming bowls of a lamb stew in a fragrant paprika-infused broth. I could have eaten bowl after bowl of this remarkable stew.

The massive entree plates arrived, covered by hubcap-sized homemade pita. All 3 meats were extraordinary--Richi's chicken looked to be burned, but it was the spices coating the meat, which was fork-tender and juicy throughout. My kebabs were as delicious as I've had anywhere in Houston, and Jay's lamb shank was succulent and bursting with flavor. Every detail on the plate shined, from perfect spiced rice to roasted tomatoes and onions that maintained their integrity instead of being burnt to the point of flavorlessness. Sides of stewed beans and fresh baby okra added to a near-perfect lunch.

And it really was--this was one of the best meals I've had in Houston...hell, anywhere. You can taste the influences from areas surrounding Kurdistan--obviously, the Middle East, but also from the Subcontinent, Russia, and quite a bit of Turkey. But Kurdish cuisine is distinct and brilliant, and we are very fortunate to have this delightful place right here in H-Town's Gandhi District.

Fried Chicken - Houston

Map Of Recommendations by Jay Francis

Houston Fried Chicken - Best Of

A. Fried Chicken Houston – 2022 – 

Eater Recommendations by Brittany Britto Garley, Jay Francis, Brittanie Shey and Baylea Jones

Barbecue Inn

The Breakfast Klub

Cookshack ( a Jay Francis discovery)

Dak & Bop

Dave's Hot Chicken

Dish Society

Esther's Cajun Café & Soulfood

Frenchy's on Scott

Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken

Himalaya Restaurant

Jollibee on S. Main

Killen's Heights

La Lucha

Marmo on Westheimer

Max's Wine Dive

Michy's Chino Boricua on Greenhouse Road

Mico's Hot Chicken

Toreore in H-Mart on Blalock

The Waffle Bus on Shepherd

B. Fried Chicken Houston – 2022 – 

Thrillist Recommendations by Brooke Viggiano

The Barbecue Inn

The Breakfast Klub

Dak & Bop

Frenchy's on Scott

Gatlin's Fins & Feathers

Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken

Killen's Heights

La Lucha

Lucille's

Max's Wine Dive

Mico's Hot Chicken

C. Fried Chicken Houston – 2022 – Houston Foodie Friends Recommendations

#1 Chicken – 4621 Almeda

Al Aseel Grill & Café – 8619 Richmond

Alice Blue – 250 W. 19^th Street

Barbecue Inn – 116 W Crosstimbers

BB.Q Chicken Katy – 1519 S. Mason Road

Bonchon Korean Chicken

Breakfast Klub – 3711 Travis

Buffalo Grill – 4080 Bissonnet

Chicken Plus – 6210 N Wayside Drive

Choong Man Chicken – 1927 Gessner

Cleburne Cafeteria – 3606 Bissonnet

Dak & Bop 18^th – 1805 W 18^th Street

Frenchy’s Chicken – Multiple Locations

Goode Company Armadillo Headquarters -

Grace’s – 3111 Kirby

Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken – 1815 Washington Avenue

Himalaya Restaurant – 6652 Southwest Freeway

Hotsome Chicken – 10020 Long Point Road

Jollibee – Multiple Locations

Jupiter Pizza and Waffle (Sugarland) – 16135 City Walk

Krisp Korean Fried Chicken = 9486 Long Point Road

La Lucha – 1801 N. Shepherd Drive

Loch Bar Seafood – 4444 Westheimer

Lucille’s Fried Chicken – 5512 La Branch

Max’s Wine Dive – Multiple Locations

Mico’s Hot Chicken – 1603 N. Durham

Soho Korean Fried Chicken – 9393 Bellaire Boulevard 

State Fare (Sugarland) – 15930 City Walk

Toreore – H-Mart – 1302 Blalock

Zydeco - Downtown Houston (call first as it is only on certain days)

D. Fried Chicken Houston - Houston Heights Foodies Recommendations

Barbecue Inn

Killen’s

Dak & Bop

La Lucha

Gus’s World Famous

Better Luck Tomorrow

Squable

Frenchy’s

Mico’s

FM Kitchen

Max’s Wine Dive

KP Kitchen

E. Fried Chicken Houston - May 2021 - Chowdown in Chinatown Recommendations

BB.Q Chicken - 1519 S. Mason Road and 8383 Westheimer 

Choong Man Chicken - 1927 Gessner Road

Dak & Bop - 1805 W. 18th Street

Dream Wings

Fire Wings - 8401 Westheimer

Hoodadak - 

Hotsome Chicken - 10002 Long Point Road

House of Bowls

KRISP - 9486 Long Point Road

Seoulside Wings - 10090 Long Point Road

Soho - 9393 Bellaire Boulevard

Sticky's Chicken - 

Coffee in Houston - Great Artisanal Coffee Places in Houston - Many of Which Do Their Own Roasting

Click on the map in order to enlarge it:

1. Here is the actual link to the map so that you can explore it in greater detail:

Link to the Artisanal Coffee Map

2. Here is a link to an excellent blogpost by Carrie Colbert on her favorite coffee spots in Houston:

Carrie Colbert's Favorite Places for Coffee

3. There was a terrific show on Houston Public Media with Eric, Gwendolyn and David on their favorite coffee shops. Here is a link to that show. 

Houston Public Media Great Coffee Shops with Eric, Gwendolyn and David

2nd Hand Stores - My Favorite 2nd Hand Stores in Houston

The Google Map (Click on any of these in the sidebar to get full address)

Favorite 2nd Hand Stores in Houston

Screenshot of the map:

Heights - Houston Heights Foodies "Recommend"

Heights - Houston Heights Foodies "Recommend"

 I live just east of the official Houston Heights in the Woodland Heights. Incredible growth in our neighborhood due to proximity to downtown. 

The Houston Heights Foodies is a Facebook group that I belong to, and, over the past few months I have been collecting recommendations for places to eat in the Greater Heights area from that site. (as you can probably guess, the same queries come up all the time, which has been great for providing me with this baseline of recommendations). Note: I haven't provided addresses at this time as many of these places show up in several categories and are easily searched for / located  via your favorite search engine. Additional Note: Even though the recommendations are supposed to be tailored to the Greater Heights Area, many responders ignore this and recommend places all over town, so, “caveat emptor” if you are looking for a restaurant specific to the Heights.

“On January 15, 2022, a person posted to the Group “I am always underwhelmed at the restaurants in the Heights”. There were over 175 responses to this query and from that query I have pulled together the recommendations that the group posted in response as follows:

Alice Blue

Al Quick Stop

Better Luck Tomorrow

Chivo’s

Coltivare

Da Gama

Elliot’s Table

Field & Tides

Hando’s

Heights Bier Garten

Hughies

Jus’ Mac & Cheese

Ka Sushi

Kin Dee Thai

Kolache Shoppe

La Lucha

Lai Thao Market

Maison Pucha

Mary’z Lebanese

Mastrantos

Melange Creperie

Mico’s Hot Chicken

Noe Franco

Pinkerton’s Barbecue

Saigon Hustle

Savoir

Someburger

Squable

Street Food Thai Market

Superica

TJ Birria

Trattoria Sofia

Ume Sushi

Urban Eats

1751 Sea & Bar

On March 9, One Member Asked for a Recommendation for a Restaurant Open on Monday (But It Wasn’t Long Before People Started Throwing Out Names Without First Checking If It Was Open On Monday) (And Very Quickly, the Recommendations Moved to Places Outside of the Greater Heights, Making It Fairly Useless to the Original Poster)

Here Is That List:

Armando’s 

Better Luck Tomorrow

Brasserie 19

Brennan’s

Candente

Cavatore

Coltivare

Coppa

Da Gama

El Tiempo

Field of Tides

Gratify

Hidden Omakase

Hobbit Café

Hughie’s

La Lucha

Laurenzo’s

Liberty Kitchen

Local Foods

Loro

Mastro’s

Maison Pucha

Plonk

Postino’s

Potente

Riel Restaurant

Rosie Cannonball

Ruggles Black

Savoir

Superica

Squable

State of Grace

Theodore Rex

Tony’s Mexican Restaurant

Trattoria Sofia

Traveler’s Table

Turner’s

Xochi

1751 Sea and Bar

 

“Best Places To Take Out Of Towners To Introduce Them To Houston”

Barbecue Inn (For fried chicken and for fried shrimp)

Bayou City Seafood

Blood Brothers Barbecue

Bludorn

Caracol Mexican Restaurant

Cielito Cafe Mexican Restaurant

Christie's Seafood

Crawfish and Noodles (Vietnamese cuisine and spicy crawfish)

Cuchara

Grace's

Himalaya Indo-Pak 

Hugo's Mexican Restaurant

Kanau

Kata Robata Japanese

La Sicilia Italian Bakery

Nancy's Hustle

Pico's Mexican Restaurant

Shun Japanese

Soto

Tampico Seafood

Tiger Den

Truth Barbecue

Viola and Agnes (Clear Lake NASA Road 1)

Xochi Mexican Restaurant

 

Birthday (Note: many are not in Greater Heights) (Brunch or Other)

Alice Blue

Bistro Menil in Montrose

BCN

Bludorn

Chivo’s

Caracol

Cavatore

Coltivare

Da Gama

Degust

Gaucho’s

Harry’s in Montrose

Joey Uptown

KP’s Kitchen

Melting Pot

Rainbow Lodge

Rosie Cannonball

Savoir

Squable

Trattoria Sofia

Wild Oats

 

Breakfast

Katz’s

Laredo’s Tacos

Lola’s

Roast & Brew

Simo’s on Shepherd

Toasted Yolk

Yale Grill

 

Brunch (Or, “Girl’s Night”, Or Other)

Alice Blue

Alma Latina

Backstreet Café in River Oaks

Better Luck Tomorrow

Canary Café

Common Bond

Da Gama at MKT

Dish Society

Field and Tides

Harold’s

Homestead Kitchen & Bar (at MKT)

Hugo’s in Montrose

La Lucha

Local Table

Lola’s

Maison Pucha

Melange Creperie

Neo Baguette

Oporto

Postino

Rainbow Lodge

Riva’s 

Savoir

Snooze

Squable

Superica

Trash Panda

Traveler’s Table in Montrose

Urban Eats

 

Cake

Alchemy Bake Lab

Aliyan’s Sweets

Ashley’s Cakes

Becca Cakes in Garden Oaks

Butter Baby Bakery

Cakes by Gina

Common Bond

Elizabeth Smile

Fluff Bake Bar

Jody Cakes

Lane and Simple

La Tartine

Lene Sue Baggett

Leona’s Bakeshop

 

Cake (but, Chocolate Cake, specifically)

Barnaby’s

Black Walnut on Memorial

Chocolate Bar in Montrose

Dessert Gallery on Kirby

Empire Cafe

Fluff Bake Bar

Gabriel Gooley (Special Order)

Red Dessert Dive

Semilla Baking Company

Three Brothers (Death by Chocolate)

Truth Barbecue

 

Cake (But, Gluten Free and Refined Sugar Free)

Awesome Bites Company

Bare Bakery

Jodycakes Custom Cakes & Cupcakes

LSB Baking Creations

 

Cheese (Better Quality)

Central Market

Dairy Maids

H.E.B.

Montrose Cheese and Wine

Phoenicia

Railway Heights

Revival Market

 

Chicken Fried Steak

Barbecue Inn

The Branch (Spring Branch)

Hughie’s

Jax Grill

Killen’s Heights

Mia’s Table

Monkey’s Tail (Tuesdays)

Rainbow Lodge (Sunday Night)

 

Chilaquiles

Hugo’s

La Chingada

Las Fuentes Taqueria

Teotihuacan

 

Cocktails and Beverages

Be More Pacific

Riva’s (Bottomless Mimosas)

 

Coffee Shop Recommendations (to work and study) (note: not all are in the Heights)

A 2^nd Cup

Active Passion

Agora

Amsterdam Company

Antidote

Blendin Coffee Club off of Allen Parkway (pay for street parking though)

Boomtown on 19^th

Brass Tacks in Eado

Catalina on Washington (One of the Oldest Artisanal Coffee Shops in Houston)

Campesino in Montrose

Common Bond

EG on Heights Blvd

Luce Coffee on Washington

Roast and Brew

Slowpokes

Sunday Press

Tenfold Coffee Company

The Tipping Point

Uncle Beans

West End Coffee Shop

Wild on Shepherd

Yellow Cup on Washington

 

Coffee Shops WITH Light Lunch

2^nd Cup

Active Passion

Alice Blue

Amsterdam Company

Bluestone Lane

Boomtown

Canary Café (Now Closed)

Common Bond

Kraftsmen

Melange Creperie

Onion Creek

Roast & Brew

Slowpokes

 

Comfort Food

Alice Blue

Barbecue Inn

Barnaby’s ( did their Heights location close?)

Cleburne’s Cafeteria (not the Heights)

Federal American Grill

Grace’s (not the Heights)

Harold’s Restaurant

Highline Park

Killen’s Heights

La Lucha

Max’s Wine Dive (fried chicken)

Miller’s (not the Heights)

Onion Creek Café

Ousie’s Table (not the Heights)

World Famous Foodie Barr

Cookshack on Washington

Gus's Fried Chicken on Washington

Just Mac

Max's Wine Dive on Washington

Shandy's

Urban Eats

 

Cookies and Other Diabetes Inducing Treats

The Bearded Baker

Crumbl Cookies

Fluff Bake Bar

Pudgy’s Fine Cookies

 

Crawfish

BB’s

The Boil House (when open…seasonal)

The Boot

Cactus Cove

Crawfish Café Heights

Onion Creek

 

Crawfish AND Live Music

Acadian Coast in Eado

Axelrad (sometimes)

Bobcat Teddy’s Ice Houst(sometimes)

The Boot

 

Cupcakes

Ashley Cakes on TC Jester

Awesome Bites Sawyer Yards

Becca Cakes on 34^th

Bearded Baker

Crave Cupcakes (not in the Heights)

Fluff Bake Bar on 15^th off of Durham

Leona’s Bakeshop

LSB Baking Creations

Marchese’s Kitchen

Nina Fitzhugh (Cake and Eat it Too in Sienna Plantation)

Pretty Baked

Red Dessert

Rose Bear Bakes

Rustika Bakery

Sally Delights Cakes

Semilla Baking

Small Cakes on Westheimer at Shepherd

Sprinkles Cupcakes

Sweet at Sugar Room

Suzies Cakes

The Caker

Three Brothers Bakery

 

Dog Friendly

Better Luck Tomorrow

Common Bond

D’Alba

Da Gama

Dish Society

Dry Creek

Heights Bier Garden

Loro

Onion Creek

Urban Eats outside patio

 

Cupcakes (Gluten Free and Refined Sugar Free)

Awesome Bites Company

Bare Bakery

Jodycakes Custom Cakes & Cupcakes

LSB Baking Creations

 

Downtown (Theater District)

BB Lemon on Washington

Birraporreti’s

Common Bond Brasserie

Diana American Grill in the Hobby Center

Nash

Nancy’s Hustle

Vic and Anthony’s

 

Fire Pits

The Barking Pig

Cottonwood

D’ Alba

8 Row Flint

FM Kitchen

Fuego’s Saloon

Heights Bier Garten

Liberty Station

Little Woodrow’s

Memorial Ice House

Platypus Brewing Company

Raven Tower

Shady Acres

Spring Street

Trash Panda Drinking Club

 

Friday Night Take-Out

Cava

Collina’s

Dream Wing

Duck N Bao

Fusion Tacos

Hughie’s

Rice Box

 

Fried Chicken

Barbecue Inn

Cookshack

Greedy Chicken in Heights Railway Market

Gus’s Fried Chicken

La Lucha

Max’s Wine Dive

Mico’s

Pollo Campero

World Famous Foodie Barr on Durham

Xin Chao (though, I, personally, was underwhelmed by it)

 

Fried Rice

Asia Market

Be More Pacific

Connie's Seafood

Ginger & Fork

Golden Seafood

Golden Wok

Hunan Bo

Hughie's

Jennie's Noodle House

Rice Box

Shokku Ramen

 

French Fries

Barnaby's (various locations)

Harold's on 19th

Maison Pucha

 

"Fun" Places and/or Parties

Bungalow Heights

FM Kitchen

Heights Bier Garden

Hughie's

King's Bierhaus

Onion Creek

Postino

8 Row Flint

 

Gluten Free and Refined Sugar Free

Awesome Bites Company

Bare Bakery

Jodycakes Custom Cakes & Cupcakes

LSB Baking Creations

 

Greek

Gyroville on Shepherd

Roast and Brew

 

Groups (Group of 8)

Be More Pacific

FM Bar Food

Hugo’s

 

Gluten Free Bakery

Anchor Bake Shop

Awesome Bites in Sawyer Yard

Caroline’s Healthy Eatery

Leven Baking Company

Red Dessert

 

Gluten Free Dining (Restaurants)

Backstreet Café

Be More Pacific

Bellisimo at 902 E. 33^rd

Carrabbas

Caracol

Cavatore

Chivo’s

Cleburne Cafeteria

Coltivare

Da Gama

Dish Society

District 7

El Meson

Flower Child

Grace’s on Kirby

Hugo’s

Kin Dee

Max’s Wine Dive

Oporto

Quin Dynasty on Buffalo Speedway

Rainbow Lodge

Ruggles Black

Savoir

Tony’s Mexican Restaurant

URBE

Verdine

Xochi

 

Gumbo        (Note: I did a gumbo article on my blog, Houston Food Explorers. I disagree strongly with some of these recommendations. But, the purpose of this document is just to document whatever was recommended by the group, even if the recommendation is not in the Heights or if it is, in my opinion, really bad gumbo)

Acadian Coast in EADO

Acme Oyster House

Bayou City Seafood on Richmond

BB’s in the Heights

The Boot

Captains Benny’s (various locations)

Crawfish Café

Davis Street at Hermann Park

Esther’s on N Shepherd

Eugene’s

Eunice

Floyd’s (not in the Heights, though)

Frank’s Americana on Westheimer

Gatlin’s Fins and Feathers

Laurenzo’s on Washington

Liberty Kitchen

Little Daddy’s Gumbo Bar in League City and,  also in Galveston

Madeo’s in Galveston

Preslee’s 

Rainbow Lodge

Reel Seafood in Missouri City

Rouxour (various locations…none in the Heights)

Tony’s

Tony Mandola’s (not the Heights)

Treebeard’s (various locations)

Willie G’s (various locations)

 

Hamburgers (aka “Burgers”) Note: Many of these are not in the Heights

Barnaby's (various locations)

Berryhill on 11th

Burger Joint

Burger-Chan

Cantina Barba

Christian’s Tailgate

Federal Grill on Shepher and I-10

Hubcap Grill on 19^th

JLB Burgers (multiple locations…none in the Heights)

Lankford Grocery

Little Bitty Burger Barn

Mia’s

Midtown Café & Deli

Miller’s

Monkey Tail

Peaky Grinders in Railway Heights Market

Rainbow Lodge (on Fridays)

Someburger

Southwell’s Burgers

Squable

Stanton’s on Houston Avenue

Underbelly Burgers

Yale Street Grill

 

Happy Hour (for food and drinks)

1751 Sea and Bar

BB’s

Better Luck Tomorow

Crowbar

Da Gama

Eight Row Flint

Lupe Tortilla

Maison Pucha

Soma Sushi

Urban Eats

Valencia Tex Mex Garage 

 

Happy Hour (all day)

Be More Pacific (all day)

Lei Low (Wednesday)

Max’s Wine Dive

Maison Pucha (Wednesday)

Postino’s

Soma Sushi (Sunday)

Sozo Sushi (Sunday)

8 Row Flint (Wednesday)

 

Healthy Choice

Active Passion

Aladdin’s Middle Eastern

Bellagreen

Bluestone Lane

Cava

Cedar Creek (for salads)

Flower Child

Green Earth Juicery and Café

Kale Me Crazy

Local Foods

Original Chop Shop on San Felipe

Roast & Brew (Greek salad with a protein)

Shandy’s

Sweet Green

 

Hot Pot

Chongqing Chicken Pot

Haidi Lao

Happy Lamb

H Mart

Malubianbian

Niu Jiao Jian

Ramen Fun

Shabu House

Shabu Square

Shabu Zone

Xiao Long Kan

 

Italian

Amalfi Ristorante

Bellissimo

Cavatore's on Ella

Ciro

Collina’s

Coltivare

Da Marco

Damian’s

Fiori

Fresco’s

Giacomo’s

NoPo

Nundini’s Chef’s Table

Perbacco

Port Vino

Riva’s

Rocco's

Roma Ristorante (West University)

Sorrento

Spaghetti Western

Trattoria Sofia

Vincent’s

Italian ( But….”Casual” Italian)

Bellissimo

Cavatore

Chicago Italian Beef & Pizza

Collina’s

Coltivare

Crisp

De Paul’s

Fegen’s

Nundini’s Chef’s Table

Rocco’s

Spaghetti Western

 

Italian ( But….”Homemade” Italian)

Adriatic

Amalfi

Bellissimo

Bombetta

Cavatore on Ella

Ciro’s

Collina’s on 19^th

Damian’s in West University

Da Vinci in Katy

George’s Pastaria on Dairy Ashford

Giacomo’s on Westheimer

Impero Italian

Luigi’s on Jones Road

Marchese’s Kitchen on Pinemont

Mastranto’s on Studewood

Nundini’s Chef’s Table

Perbacco in  Downtown Houston

Rocco’s

Roma in West University

Romano’s on West Gray

 

King Cakes

Artisana Breads

Central Market

El Bolillo

French Gourmet Bakery

Gambino’s via Boil House (when open)

Leona’s Bakeshop

Maceo’s (Galveston)

Montgomery Bakehouse (Conroe)

Red Dessert

Rios Bakery (Spring, Texas)

Three Brothers Bakery

Two Friends Bakery in Memorial

Urbe

World Famous Foodie Barr

 

Late Night

Burger Joint

Katz Deli

Kin Dee Thai

Marco’s Pizza (Ella at 43^rd)

Pink’s Pizza

Rice Box

Taco Stand (on N Shepherd)

Trash Panda

Voodoo Doughnut

 

Outdoor

Backstreet Café

Better Luck Tomorrow

Bluestone Lane

D’Alba

Da Gama

Dish Society

Harold’s Terrace

Hobbit Café

Homestead

King’s Bierhaus

Maison Pucha

Rainbow Lodge

Savoir

Tiny Boxwoods

Urban Eats

Urbe

Wild Oats

 

Pastries and Sweet Things

Awesome Bites

Bearded Baker

Brilliant Bakery

Common Bond

El Bolillo

Fat Cat Creamery

Fluff Bake Bar

Hugs & Doughnuts

Kraftsmen Bakery

Magnol

Red Dessert

Shandy’s Heights

Sweet Like Mom

Three Brothers Bakery

Urban Eats

Wild Coffee

 

Patio

Annie Café & Bar

BB Lemon

Backstreet Café

Better Luck Tomorrow

Bistro Menil

Bludorn

Brassiere 19

Casa Nomad

Da Gama

D’Alba

Field & Tides

Gratify

Harold’s (the terrace)

Heights Bier Garten

Henderson Heights

Hungry’s 

La Lucha

Lei Low

Loro

Maison Pucha

Monkey’s Tail

Mutiny Wine Room

Ostia

Pondicheri

Postino

Savoir

Sonoma Wine Bar

Spanish Flowers

Toulouse Café

Urban Eats

8 Row Flint

 

Pecan Pie (again, not places in the Heights)

Costco

Flying Saucer Pie Company

Goode Company

House of Pies

Leona’s Bakeshop

Pappas Restaurants

Red Dessert on Studewood

Spec’s on Milam

Taste of Texas

Three Brothers

Whole Foods

 

Pho and Vietnamese

Local Pho on Sawyer

Pho Ben on Shepherd

Pho Binh on White Oak

Pho King on Washington

Nam Eatery and Vietnamese Café

 

Pizza

Brother's Pizza in Garden Oaks on Shepherd

Buffalo Bayou Brewery

Cane Rosso

Collina's

Coltivare

Crust Pizza on Shepherd

La Fresca

Luna on Yale

Nundini's

Mellow Mushroom

Pink's

Pizaro's in Montrose

Rocco's

 

Po-Boy Sandwiches

Angeloz (OST)

BB’s

The Boot

Flying Fish

Heads & Tails

Karbach (shrimp po-boy(

Paulie’s Po-boys (Bellaire)

Winnie’s Houston (Midtown)

 

Posole (again, very few of these are in the Heights0

Alma Latina

Cuchara

Goditas Aguascalientes

La Rosa Blanca

Local Foods

Pico’s

Rio Verdence

Studewood Cantine

Superica

Taqueria Arandas

URBE

Valencia’s

 

Organ Meats (Not All Are in the Heights)

Bludorn

Café Piquet

Fegen’s

Kenny and Ziggy’s

Mary’s Mediterranean

Naro mak

Phau Lau Vietnamese

Savoir

Taqueria Tacambaro at the Airline Food Market in back

 

Ramen

Izakaya Ramen on West Gray in Midtown

Jinya Ramen

Ninja Ramen on Washington Avenue

Rakkan at the MKT complex

Ramen Tatsu-ya in Montrose

Samurai Noodle on I-10 at Dunlavy

Shokku Ramen on Studewood

Tamashi Ramen on Holcombe (or Silber)

 

Sandwiches

Bluestone Café

Mendocino Farms at MKT complex

Ploughman’s

World of Sourdough (Kroger shopping center on Studemont)

 

Skyline View of Downtown

B&B Butchers

Buffalo Bayou Brewery

POST HTX

Saint Arnold’s

Urban Eats patio

Zone23

 

Soup Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao)

Duck & Bao

Wanna Bao

 

Steak Night, or, Steaks Recommendations

 

B&B Butchers on Washington

Elliot’s Table

Guard & Grace (noted: expensive)

Laurenzo’s on Washington

Savoir (Patton’s)

The Barking Pig in Garden Oaks

Wild Oats (steak night on Tuesdays)

 

Sushi (note: very few of these are actually in the Heights)

AKA

Bluefish

Fukuda (in the Woodlands)

Ginza

Handie Douzo

Hando

HEB

Jellyfish

Ka Sushi

Kanua Sushi

Kata Robata

Kokoro (downtown)

Miyako

Miyagi

MF Sushi

Nippon Sushi

Oishi

Osaka

Roka Akor

Sage 400

Shun Kitchen

Soma Sushi

Soto

Tamashni

Teppay Sushi

Tobiuo

Uchi

Ume Sushi

Uptown Sushi

 

Taco Tuesday

Chilosos

Berryhill’s

El Rey

Fusion Taco

High & Dry

La Calle Tacos

La Chingada

McElroy’s Pub

Star Sailor HTX

Tacos a Go Go

Taqueria Laredo

Tio Trompo Taqueria

Torchy’s

Velvet Taco

 

Tex Mex (Note: I have removed recommendations from the group that weren't really "Tex Mex". Someone even posted Laurenzo's lol)

Alma Latina on Shepherd

Chilosos

Don Teo's on 34th (technically Garden Oaks not Heights)

El Chaparro

El Tiempo on Washington

La Carreta

Laredo's Taqueria on Washington

Mi Sombrero on 34th (technically Garden Oaks not Heights)

Puebla's Mexican Kitchen

Spanish Flowers

Spanish Village on Almeda

Studewood Grill (aka Studewood Cantine)

Superica / La Lucha

Taqueria Arandas on Shepherd

Teotihuacan

Tony's on Ella

 

Thai

Asia Market Thai Lao Food (North Main)

Kindee

Mint Thai (on Waugh)

Nara Thai

Nidda Thai (outside of the Heights on Westheimer)

Sao Lao Thai Café (Thai, Lao, Cambodian)

Street Food Asian (Cavalcade)

Thai Lanna

 

Tres Leches

El Bolillo

Henderson & Kane – Treacherous Leches Cakes

La Guadalupana Bakery on Dunlavy

Lucy Pearl at the POST HTX

Tout Suite in EADO

 

Vietnamese

Asia Market Thai Lao Food (North Main)

Dinette Vietnamese Kitchen and Bar

Les Bagets

Pho Ben

Saigon Hustle on Ella